Southeastern Boards participate in combined workshop

HAMMOND – Boards from several divisions associated with Southeastern Louisiana University recently participated in a first of its kind collaborative workshop to focus on enhancing resource development, fund raising and memberships. The workshop brought together nearly 50 key volunteers from as far away as Houston representing alumni, athletics, the Development Foundation and the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts. Attendees learned about evolving plans at the university, the changing role of volunteers, Louisiana philanthropy markets and the structure of cross-functional teams in identifying and securing resources for the university. Participants also heard from Southeastern President John L. Crain who addressed recent budget restructuring for Louisiana higher education and the potential impact on Southeastern’s programs. The workshop was facilitated by the Great Lakes Entrepreneurship Center of Tiffin, Ohio, and underwritten by a capacity-building grant from the Dorothy L. Blossman Charitable Foundation. “The Blossman Foundation is committed to supporting program initiatives, such as this board building workshop, where they can demonstrate that volunteer engagement and training will advance the organization’s mission and thereby benefit our community,” said Chuck Reese, a trustee of the foundation. Vice President for University Advancement Wendy Johns-Lauderdale said, “Informing and engaging our volunteers remains a high priority in addressing the university’s educational, cultural, economic and athletic importance to our region and various constituents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time we have brought together volunteers serving on four distinct boards at Southeastern to forge a united front in securing resources for the university.”